commissioning one ship by the end of fiscal year 2027, and the other by the end of FY2028. The budget for design and other related expenses are to be submitted in the form of “item requests”, without specific amounts, and the initial procurement of the lead items are expected to clear legislation by FY2023. Construction is to begin in the following year of FY2024. Proposed projects Given the various maritime-related territorial disputes and expanding operational requirements (pictured), the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense (JMSDF) has shown increased interest in augmenting its amphibious lift and expeditionary capabilities. Consequently, several Japanese defense firms such as Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) and Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding (MES) have proposed amphibious warfare options at such industry trade shows as the Maritime Air Systems & Technologies (MAST) and Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibits. Also, on March 4, 2014, Japan and the United States announced a bilateral research project on a LCS-style warship pursuant to the Mutual Defense Assistance Act. Amphibious assault ships (LHD) In 2014, Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera expressed the intention of buying one amphibious assault ship (LHD) from the United States to provide more amphibious capabilities than the current Osumi class landing ships. The is most likely candidate for acquisition. JMU design concept During the annual Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) tradeshow held 18–19 November 2019 in Chiba, Japan, the Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) unveiled its proposed design for a big-deck multi-purpose LHD-type amphibious assault ship for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The vessel’s design features a floodable well deck for embarking two LCAC air-cushion landing craft plus 20 AAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles. Its full-length flight deck boasts five marked landing spots for helicopters or MV-22B tiltrotors. Two below-deck hangars have space for five more rotorcraft. The vessel has a 500-person crew and an embarked unit of 500 marines. The JMU concept art displayed three RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) SeaRAM launchers located before and aft of the ship's island superstructure, as well as a Mk 15 Phalanx 20mm-Vulcan cannon-armed Close-in Weapon System (CIWS) on the forward deck. The JMU's proposed LHD vessel's displacement is approximately with an overall length of , a beam of , a draft of , and a top speed of . Overall, the proposed JMSDF amphibious assault ship is substantially smaller than China's Type 075 vessels, South Korea's proposed LPH-II design, the U.S. Navy's ,